- Allianz becomes title sponsor of Drone Race League (DRL) races, the “Allianz World Championship” series
- Races to be aired on premier broadcast channels in over 75 countries
- Drone racing is a growing sport in Africa
JOHANNESBURG (February 9, 2017) – Allianz and the Drone Racing League (DRL) have announced a global multi-year partnership. As the title sponsor of DRL’s race circuit, Allianz will leverage its motor racing heritage to bring the “Sport of the Future” to a rapidly growing world-wide audience.
The Allianz World Championship 2017 series will consist of six races to be aired in over 75 countries starting in June. The races will push the skills of 16 top drone pilots who will be flying racing drones at over 150KMH through a series of 3-D racecourses in iconic venues across Miami, New Orleans, Atlanta, Boston, Munich and London.
In Africa, the sport of drone racing is growing more popular across all ages. Not only that, but the function of drones is also expanding as they are increasingly being used in conjunction with projects that could revolutionize medical supply chains and commercial deliveries, tackle poaching and provide other solutions for in the developing continent.
“This is an incredibly exciting day for The Drone Racing League and a huge leap forward for professional drone racing,” said DRL CEO and Founder, Nicholas Horbaczewski. “To DRL, Allianz is bringing world-renowned brand credibility and a proud history of innovative sports partnerships, including an extensive tradition in auto racing, and an undeniable proof point that the sport of the future has arrived. The scale and long-term nature of the deal shows Allianz’s genuine commitment to advancing the sport and will accelerate the introduction of drone racing to audiences around the world.”
“The pursuit of innovation and calculated risk taking are the reasons insurance was invented in the first place. Allianz is proud to be partnering with DRL, a true pioneer of today’s digital driven sports,” said drone expert and an aviation practice leader at Allianz Global Corporate & specialty, James Van Meter. “Drones are already an important part of our business so we’re excited to align with DRL as they harness the latest technological advancements and reimagine what racing in the 21st century looks like.”
The partnership with DRL will allow Allianz to connect with consumers of the fast growing drone industry. Allianz’ aviation insurer, Allianz Global Corporate & Specialty offers a variety of drone insurance products for commercial operators, manufacturers, distributors and repairers, flight schools and training facilities as well as drone service consumers (those who hire drone operators to fly on their behalf).
Drones also play an increasing role for the company in regards to property claims assessment and agriculture insurance.These machines are already an important part of the business as they are increasingly being used to make risk assessments of construction or infrastructure projects easier and safer. Handling of insurance claims can also be made quicker and more effective by utilizing drones to survey loss damage after major catastrophes. Allianz also supports a pilot-to-business marketplace, FairFleet, which links pilots with businesses in need of drones, offering insurance coverage and claims settlement.
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